Folding-machine



Patented Sept. 207 |898.

5 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Mcdel.)

wlw w D OO M. .N s@ wm. Q@ Q. m@ mN ww No. 6|I,070. Patented Sept. 20,|898. M. J. LUCKE.

FOLDING MACHINE.

(Application led Dec. 30, 1897.)

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Zffa 'frz @www @ya/zia?? Patented Sept. 20, |898.

M; J. LOCKE.

FOLDING MACHINE.

(Application fled Dec. 30` 1897.)

Sheet 3.

5 Sheets (No Model.)

mz N'onms PETzns co, PNoYouma. WASHINGTON, o. c.

Patented Sept. 20, |898.

M. J. LCKE.

FOLDING MACHINE.

No. 6l|,070.

(Application med Dec. ao, ls'v.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

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Patented Sept. 20, |898.

No. sumo.

` M. J. Locks. FOLDING MACHINE.

(Application led Dec. 30, 1897.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

(No Model.)

fraz/www@ f o.. wAsmNGToN D c NTTED vSTATES 1 PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN J. LOCKE, OF TROY, NEV YORK.

FOLDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 611,070,6.atedSeptember 20, 1898. Application led December 30, 1897. Serial No.664.695. (N0 model-i To all whom tm/Cty concern:

Beit known that I, MARTIN J. LOCKE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Troy, county of Rensselaer, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding-Machines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The invention relates to such improvements; and it consists of the novelconstruction and combination of parts hereinafter described andsubsequently claimed.

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings and the letters 0freference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several figures therein.

Figure l of the drawings is a top plan View of my improvedfolding-machine with the templet or former expanded and resting upon thebed-plate with the folders'distended or open. Fig. 2 is a bottom planView of the same. Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the bedplate with theformer and three of the folder plates detached. Fig. 4 is a frontelevation of the machine with the former removed from the bed-plate.Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section taken on the broken line 5 5 inFig. 1. Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the broken line 6 6 inFig. l. Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken on the broken line 7 7 inFig. l. Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of one of the folders. Figs. 9 and10 are plan views, respectively, of a blank before and after its edgeshave been folded by my improved machine. Fig. 1l is a top plan viewshowing the corners of a movable folderplate and formerplate with theguide-linger in position fol` folding the corner of a cuff-blank showninterposed between the plate-corners and resting on the bed-plate or themachine, both the former and folder plates being in an open or distendedposition. Fig. 12 shows vthe relative position of the parts after thefolderplates of the machine have been closedor moved over theformer-plates.

My invention relates to that class of machines in which a collapsibleshaper or former movable to and from a blank-supporting bed issuperposed upon a bed-supported collar or cuff blank, while inwardly andoutwardly movable folder-plates are moved inwardly to fold the edges ofthe blank over the edges of the former.

The object of my invention is to provide collar and cuff blanks withuniformly-dis posed corner-folds which are interlockable the folds ofone blank with those of another, as will be hereinafter more fullyexplained.

My invention consists of mechanism for regulating the laying of thecorner-folds of acollar or cuff blank, whereby a certain predeterminedone of the two sides forming a corner of the blank is first folded overand its corner-fold laid upon the former or shaper and the other sideafterward folded and its corner-fold laid upon the corner-fold of thefirst-turned side.

In the manufacture of collars and cus two blanks, one or both with oneor more interlining plies, are separately folded by turning in theedges. The two folded blanks are then superposed one upon the other,with the folded-in edges concealed between the super-Y posed plies,after which the plies are all secured together bya line of stitchingthrough the folded-in edges. It is quite important, therefore, that thecorner-folds should be formed systematically, not only to secure theleast number' of superposed thicknesses, but to produce a uniform foldthat will always permit the corner-fold of eachy folded blankl tointerlock with the corresponding cornerfold of every other blank,whereby the finished collars or cuffs composed of any twoseparately-folded blanks will present neatlyfolded corners of uniformthickness and form. Fig. 9 of the drawings shows an unfolded blank, andFig. l0 a blank folded by my improved machine.

Referring to the drawings of the machine, A is the bed-plate, providedwith supportinglegs A' and ears A2, containing the cone-bearings of theformer A3, which former may be of any known class. I have shown a formercollapsible on four sides by moving the cornerplates A4 inwardly. Thesecorner-plates are secured to the central head by studs projecting upthrough slideways A and con nected by links A6 with a lever A7, having ahandle A8, adapted to operate the lever to slide IDO the corner-platesand to swing the former to proper are made of sheet metal and fixed uponthicker castings B2, each having a channel on the lower side adapted toreceive the slide- Way-rib on the bed.

As a means for sliding the folder-plates to and fro I provide a leverB3, fulcrumed at B4 upon the under side of the bed and provided with anoperating-handle B5, which projects out through an opening in the frontportion of the bed-frame. The lever B3 is connected at each end by linksB6 with a pair of levers outside the bed-frame, one end with the leversB7 in front and the other end with the levers Bsin rear. Each of thelevers B7 and B8 is fulorumed intermediately of its ends upon thebed-frame, as by screw B9. The short end of each lever is connected Witha cornerfolder, so as to slide the same, as by pin B10, projecting fromthe corner-plates and loosely iittin g the open slot Blzin the severallevers.

The dotted lines C in Fig. 3 represent the shape and size of that partof the machine called the former, which is also the shape andapproximately the size of a nished cuff folded on the machine. I havealso placed on this Fig. 3 broken lines C', drawn to bisect therespective corner-angles formed by the dotted lines C.

It Will be observed that each one of the slideways B is inclined to theline Which bisects the neighboring corner-angle and that all theslideways are similarly inclined With relation to their respectivecorners. The result of this inclination is that each cornerplate, whenmoved along its slideWay toward the blank, travels faster toivard one ofthe edges forming the neighboring corner of the blank than toward theother edgethat is, if the corner-plate shown in Fig. 3 is moved from theposition shown by solid lines to that indicated by the dotted lines C2the long arm t of the corner-forming plate will have traveled fartherthan the short arm c. It is also apparent that the short arm will crossthe dotted line C in advance of the long arm. The short arm Wouldtherefore be the first to lap the form er-plate and fold over upon itthe corresponding edge of a cuff-blank interposed between the bed andformer with its edges resting upon the folder-plates. The long armafterward laps the other side of the corner and folds the correspondingedge of the blank over onto the former.

Starting from the corner-plate shown in Fig. 3 and passing around thebed-plate to the left, the next corner-plate has its slideway soinclined that its long arm will be nearer the edge of the former, andtherefore will be the arm which has the comparatively slor movement,While on the next corner the short arm moves more slowly, like the oneshown in Fig. 3, and on the fourth corner the long arm has thecomparatively sloW movement, the alternating arms, Without reference totheir lengths, having similar movements. All the slideivays beingsimilarly inclined with relation to their respective corners, as beforestated and shown, the respective arms of the corner-folders all travelin unison and produce like results, whereby each of the four edge foldsof a folded culf has one end of its fold underfolded and the other endoverfolded with relation to the respective edge folds of the neighboringedges of the cuff, as shown in Fig. 10, the object of such anarrangement being to lay the corner-folds, as shown in Fig. 10. I amable to facilitate uniformity of action by providing the short orslowly-moving arm of the corner-folder With a riser C3, which forms anupright or abutment in the same vertical plane with the face edge of theplate which holds the neighboring edge of the blank in a verticalposition when the former is swung down onto the blank .I previouslydeposited upon the bed and edges of the folder-plates, as seen in Fig.G. Then as the folder laps the former the riser tends to keep theengaged edge of the blank smooth and under control until thefolder-plate passes over it.

The operation may be still further facilitated by means of thefinger-guide A10, Which holds back, as seen in Fig. 7, the extreme edgeof the blank opposite the long arm of the folder as long as possibleuntil the cornerfold (represented by the dotted line (lL in Fig. 10) hasbeen partially formed and laid upon the former, after Which that edge isfolded over and its corner-fold C5 laid over upon the edge of the blankfolded over by the short arm.

In Figs. 1l and l2 I have shown a modified form of riser, which consistsof a lever D, fulcrumed at one end by pin D to the folderplate andprovided with an upright pin D2, adapted to be engaged by one end of thecontrollingspring D3, which has its coils D4 slipped onto pin D' and itsother end bearing against the casting of the folder. Another lever D5 isfulcrumed at D upon the folderplate with one end in engagement with thelever D, as shown, and the other end engageable with the guide-iin gerA10, projecting from the former. As the folder-plate travels along itsslideway toward the blank and former from the position shown in Fig. 11the lever D5 engages the guide-iin ger at once and forces theriser-lever over the edge of the'former in advance of the short arm ofthe folder-plate,

IOO

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so that the parts occupy the position shown inv Fig. l2 at the end ofthe folding movement of the folder-plate.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a machine for folding the edges of collar and cuff blanks, thecombination with a bed for receiving and supporting the blank; and aformer movable to and from the bed; of corner-folding plates movableinwardly and outwardly along the upper surface of the bed; slideways forthe folder-plates severally and similarly inclined to the straight linesbisecting the corner-angles,respectively, whereby one arm of acorner-folding plate is movable to and from the blank more rapidly thanthe other; means for operating the former; and means for moving thecornerfolding plates inwardly and outwardly along the respectiveinclined slideways, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for folding the edges of collar and cu blanks; thecombination with a bed for receiving and supporting the blank; and aformer movable to and from the bed; of corner-folding plates movableinwardly and outwardly along the upper surface of the bed; slideways forthe folder-plates severally and similarly inclined to the straight linesbisecting the corner-angles respectively, whereby one arm of acorner-folder plate is movable to and from the blank more rapidly thanthe other; a blank-en gagin g riser on the more slowly movable arm ofthe several foldingplates; means for operating the former; and means formoving the corner-folding plates inwardly and outwardly along therespective inclined slideways,substantially as described.

3. In a machine for folding the edges of collar and cuff blanks, thecombination with a bed for receiving and supporting the blank; and aformer movable to and from the bed; of corner-folding plates movableinwardly and outwardly along the upper surface of the bed; slideways forthe folder-plates severally and similarly inclined to the straight linesbisectin g the corner-angles respectively, Whereby one arm of acorner-folding plate is movable to and from the blank more rapidly thanthe other; blank-engaging detaining-ingers,

severally projecting from the several corners of the former, wherebyeach fin ger projects, when the former rests upon a blank horizontally,over one edge of the blank and over the more rapidly moving arm of acornerfoldingplate; meansforoperatingtheformer; and means for moving thecorner-folding plates inwardly and outwardly along the respectiveinclined slideways, substantially as described.

4. In a machine for folding the edges of collar and cuff blanks having abed, a collapsible former, and corner-folding plates, the combinationwith the folding-plates, of a riser on one arm of the folding-platesengageable with an edge' of the blank forming one side of a blankcorner, and a detaining-inger on the former engageable with the edge ofthe blank forming the other side of such blank corner, and means foroperating the former and folding plates, substantially as described.

5. In a machine for folding the edges of collar and cuff blanks, havingabed, a collapsible former, and corner-folding plates, the combinationwith the folding-plates, of a movable riser pivoted upon one arm of theseveral folding-plates engageable with an edge of the blank, ariser-operating lever pivoted on the several folder-plates, and adetaining-finger on the several former corners engageable with an edgeof the blank and with the riser-operating lever, whereby an inwardmovement of the angle-plate will cause the movable riser to move morerapidly than either arm of the plate, and means for operating the formerand folding plates, substantially as described.

6. In a folding-machine, the combination with a two-armed corner-folder,and means for moving one arm more rapidly than the other, of a movableriser on the more slowly moving arm, and means for advancing the riserbeyond the arm, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day ofSeptember, 1897.

MARTIN J. Locks.

Witnesses:

FRANK C. CURTIS, INEsrMn BELRUMER.

